Gear-iron for carriages



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 1 J. P. FALLON.

GEAR IRON FOR GARRIAGES.

vN0. 393,549. Patented N0v. 27, 1888.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

J.P.FALLON.

GEAR IRON FOR GARRIAGES. No. 393,549. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

N PITI'ERSv Phnlo-Liihoglzpber, Washington. D, C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

' J. P. FALL-0N.

GEAR IRON FOR CARRIAGE-S. No. 393,549. Patented Nov. 27 1888.

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UNITED STATES JOHN F. FALLON, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

sr. Louis, MIssoUaI.

GEAR-IRON FOR CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,549, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed November 19, 1887. Serial No. 255,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. FALLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Gear-Irons of Carriages and other Vehicles, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in the fifth-wheels of carriages and other vehicles where platforms are used, and has for its object to enable the front gear to be brought closer to the body of the carriage, so that the latter can be coupled shorter than with the ordinary fifth-wheel, sufficient play being at the same time insured for the radial movement of the front wheels beneath the wheel-house or goose-neck without fouling the body.

My invention consists in the application to a fifth-whee], in lieu of the ordinary center king-bolt and safety-hooks, of two bolts fixed in the upper part of the fifth-wheel and passing down through two slots formed at right angles to each other through the lower part of the fifthwheel, so that on radiating the lower part of the fifth-wheel, which carries the front wheels of the carriage, the combined action of the slots and bolts will throw the lower part of the fifth-wheel gradually forward, whereby as one of the front wheels approaches and passes beneath the wheel-house or goose-neck it is prevented from fouling the body, which would occu r in case the fi fthwhcel were con plcd at the same distance from the body by the ordinary means.

011 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fifth-wheel and combined parts applied to a carriage; Fig. 2, a plan thereof; Fig. 3, aplan of the upper part of fifth-wheel detached; Fig. 4, a simi' lar view of the lower part of fiftlrwheel and combined parts, and Fig. 5 a section through the flftlrwheel on line 1 1 in Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

A represents the upper part of the fifthwheel, on which are secured the cross-bars B, carrying the neck, boot, and front of the body C of the carriage, and D is the lower part of the fifthwheel, carried by the futchells E and coach-bed F, to which are secured the springs G, carrying the front wheels, I], of the car- (Xo model.)

riage in the usual well-known manner. The lower part, D, of the fiftlrwheel is preferably composed of a rear straight portion or crossbar, a, secured along the top of the coach-bed F, and connected centrally at right angles from its front edge by a bar, I), with the front segmental portion, (2. lhromgh the rear crossbar, a, in line therewith behind the coach-bed F, is formed a slot, d, of suitable and equal which is a similar slot, 0, the two slots (1 and 0 being consequently at right angles to each other in the same plane.

The upper part, A, of the fifth-wheel is preferably composed of a semicircular front bar, f, which, when the front wheels, H, of the carriage are axially parallel with the front of the body 0, as shown in Fig. 2, lies upon and coincides cireumferentially with the segmental front portion, 0, of the lower part, D, of the fifth-wheel, the ends of the barfbeing united by a chord or cross-bar, g, which lies upon and coincides with the rear cross-bar, a, of the lower part, D, of the fifth-wheel where secured to the coachbed F. From the inner edge of the semicircular bar f a longitudinal bar, 71,. extends backward, coinciding with the bar I) beneath and intersecting the rear chord or cross-bar, g, behind which it terminates at a suitable distance in a second semicircular bar, '5, which bears upon a curved bearing bar or bcd,j, beneath, carried by the rear ends of the futchells E.

In the longitudinal bar 7b of the upper part, A, of the fifth-wheel, immediately over the center of the slot (1 in the rear cross-bar, a, and over the front end of the slot 0 in the horizontal bar b of the lower part, D, of the fifthwheel, are fixed bolts k and Z, respectively, which pass through the respective slots (1 and c, and are secured by washers tightened up against the under side of the lower part, D, of the fifth-wheel by the heads or nuts of the bolts k and Z, as found most suitable, these heads or nuts performing the same office as the present safety-hooks.

According to the above arrangement, on pulling round the lower part, D, of the fifthwheel with the front wheels, II, in the act of turning the carriage in either direction-say from left to right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2-thc lower part, D, of the fifth-wheel length on each side of the central bar, b, along ICO is constrained by the combined action of the slots d e and bolts k Z to gradually assume the position relatively with the upper part, A, of the fifth-wheel shown by dotted lines in .Fig. 2that is to say, as the receding Wheel H approaches and passes beneath the wheelhouse or goose-neck, the lower part, D, of the fifth-wheel, and with it the futchells E,coachbed F, and front wheels, H, are gradually forced forward away from the front of the body 0 of the carriage until, on arriving at its maXimuni radiation, the lower part, D, of the fifthwheel is prevented from moving farther in the same direction by the arrival of the right-hand end of the slot d and the inner end of the slot 0 against the bolts 7c and Z, respectively, of the upper part, A, of the fifth-wheel.

Although I have here described aspeciallyshaped fiftlrwheel for effecting my invention, 1 do not limit myself to any particular shape or configuration thereof, as the slots (1 and e and bolts 7c and Z may be applied to any suitable arrangement of gear for effecting the same purpose.

I clain1 1. In acarriage or other vehicle, the eombination of the upper and lower parts of the fifth-wheel, one of said parts being connected to the front axle and having two straight slots in lines at right angles to each other, the 1ongitndinal slot thereof being in front of said axle, and the point of intersection of said lines being substantially radial'with the fifth-wheel, and the other part provided with bolts for sliding in said slots, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a carriage or other vehicle, the combination of the upper and lower parts of the fifth wheel, one of said parts having two straight slots at right angles to each other and V the other part provided with bolts for sliding V in said slots, said parts having a rearwardlyprojecting portion for sliding upon a bearing on the futchells, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day ofNoveniber, 1887.

JOHN F. FALLON.

WVitnesses:

' S. L. SOHRADER,

PAUL BAKEVVELL. 

